Feeler-loom.



J. NORTHROP.

Pima Loom.

LICTION HLEDD Patented Dec. 3, N18. a SHEETS sHEE 3.

Unirse srfrn JONAS NORTHROP, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 HOPEDALE MANU; i"

FACTURING COMPANY, OE MlLFOElD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIGN OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

FEELERLOOBI.

Patented Deca 3, MHS.

Application led December 26, 1918. Serial No. 138,833.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JONAS Non'rnnor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented cerf w tain new and useful Improvements 1n Feeler- Looms; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an improvement in feeler'looms, andimore particularly to an improvementin thread, parting mechanism for such looms.

- A eeler loom is an automatic, weft replenishing loom in which the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism is controlled by a filling feeler mechanism which deter mines the amount of filling there is on the bobbin in the shuttle during the operation of the loom. Then the filling has been un- Wound or exhausted to a predetermined eX- tent, the filling feeler mechanism initiates the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism.

Feeler looms are commonly provided, at the side of the loom on which the weft re plenishing mechanism is located, with thread part-ing mechanism, for severing the filling extending from the fell of the cloth to the shuttle, When the latter is boxed at that side of the loom on the replenishing beat-up of the lay, and for severing the filling extending from the hopper to the fell after the ive-tt replenishing operation. The rstnamed. filling end is known as the outgoing filling end, and the second-named tilling end is known as the incoming filling end. @ne form of thread parting mechanism for severing the outgoing and incoming filling ends is disclosed in my eopending application Serial No. 93,216, filed April 9e, 1.916. ln this thread parting mechanism the partei1 blades are fastened at one end to a trame which is pivotally mounted` and are unsupported at their other or thread partingl ends. These parten blades project through the reed dents continuously during operation of the loom. One object. of the present invention is to improve the construction. organization and mode ot operation of the thread parting mechanism disclosed. in said application5 in order not only that thread parting operation may be performed the fell to the shuttle, ivhile the shuttle is boxed at the weft replenishing side of the loom, will not be severed, and consequently there will be no filling end trailingfrom the shuttle to be caught in the shed when the shuttle is boxed at the side of the loom remote from the replenishing mechanism. Mispicks are thus prevented, and thetime previously1 lost in removing these mispicks will be saved.

These objects and such others as shall hereinafter appear, are accomplished by the mechanism hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsv` in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of the weft replenishing side of a loom, showing the application of the mechanism of the present invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. l: Figs. 3 and 4: are elevations similar to Figfl, certain parts of the loom and the thread parting mechanism being removed, and other parts being shown in different positions of operation; and 5 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, ot one ci the thread parting blades.

The mechanism ot the present invention is particularly adapted for application to any nsnal or preferred type of feeler loom. in the loom illustrated inthe drawings the Wett replenishing mechanism, indicated by the hopper plate l0, is located on one side of the loom, and the illing feeler mechanism, not shown in th drawings, is located at the opposite side ci the loom and controls the operation of the weit replenishing mechanism through the usual roch shaft il, *which7 in this instance, is hollow and extends transversely across Ehe front of the loom,

being connected with the weft replenishing mechanism through a hopper arm 12, which is fixed on the rock shaft. The hopper plate 10 is supported by a bracket 13 fastened on the breast beam 14. Secured to the npper end of the hopper arm 12 is an adjustable head 15 yieldingly held by a spring 16 against an arm 17 pivoted on a transferrer stud 18 in the hopper plate. A shuttle feeler 20 is pivoted on the hopper plate 10 at 2l. and is connected with the transferrer arin 17 by a link 22. When the filling feeler mechanism detects critical or predetermined' exhaustion of filling in the shuttle, the rock shaft 11 is oscillated so as to cause the hopper arm 12 to swing tothe right (viewing Fig. 1), and thereby initiate the operation of the weft replenisliing mechanism. As the hopper arm 12 swings to the right, the shuttle feeler 2O is swung into position to determine whether the shuttle 23 is properly boxed on the filling replenisliing beat-up of the lay 25, which is the beat-up following the one on which critical exhaustion of filling was determined. lf the shuttle is not iii proper position for the insertion of a fresh bobbin, it strikes the lower end of the shuttle feeler and pushes it foi'- Ward toward the breast beam 14, thereby preventing the completion of the weft replenisliing operation. The operations of the parts just described are well known to those Skilled in -the art. The mechanism of the present invention is constructed so as to be controlled by these parts and to act in timed coperationv with them: first, to part the outgoing and incoming filling eiids on succeeding beat-ups of the lay, and second. to prevent the parting operation if the weft replenishing mechanism is prevented from completing the weft replcnishing operation.

ln addition to the parts above enumerated. the loom to which the mechanism of the present invention is applied is provided with ay filling detector located on the saine side ofthe loom with the weft replenishingr mechanism. This filling detector is of usual construction and comprises a filling t'oik 27 pivoted at 28 on the rear end of' a detector slide 2S) mounted for sliding movements iii a guideway or bracket 30 .secured to the breast beam 14. lhenaii intact fillingr is iii front of the depending tines 32 of the lling fork 27. the/fork is tilted. but when fillingV is not present iii front of the fork on that beat-up ofthe lay which corresponds to the forward movement ol the weft hammer 33, the fork is not tilted. and consequently' the hook 34 carried by the weft hammer engages' the fork 27 and, through it` pushes thc slide 29 forward. thereby swiiiging'the stop arm 245 to the right. viewing Fig. 1. so as to'oscillate the stop shaft 37 to stop the loom.

The thread parting mechanism of the present invention comprises a series ofends of these parter blades which is adjustaltly secured in a bracket 43 fastened to the looin frame. A-vguard 44,

projecting downwardly from the inner endv of the rod 42, lis interposed between the parter blades 39 and the warp threads 45 so as to prevent Ithe latter from becoming entangled with tlie former. The forward ends of the parter blades are supported and normally held in raised position, as shown .in Fig. 1. by the rear end of a parter support 46. The slots 47 cut in the forward ends of the parter blades provide a loose connection between them and the rear end of the'support 46. The purpose ofrsupporting the rear and forward ends of the parter blades in this manner is. that when vthe lay moves relatively to the blades on either its forward or return beats,a pulling strain rather than a pushing strain may be exerted on the blades. In this way all tendency of thev blades to buckle is eliminated. There is con sequeiitly but little friction between the blades andthe reed dents. The wear on the latter, therefore, is negligible, and the crystallization of the former is obviated.

The forward end of -the parter support Y 46 is offset at right angles to its length, and is rigidly and adjustablysecured in a hole iii the upper end of an arm 49, in a hole in the lower end of which is rigidly and ad;vv justably secured one Yend of a rock shaft 50` journaled in a bearing 51 formed on a bracket 52 clamped to the bracket 13. The' adjustability of the parter support 46 with respect. to the arm 49, and the adjustability of the rod 42 with respect to the bracket 43.

provide for moving the parter blades 39 longitudinally relatively to the reed, so that when cloths of different widths are being woven the parter blades may be positioned-l immediately outside the selva'ge so as to part the filling ends close to the selvage.

normally maintained inrtlieir raised. position, as show n in Fig. 1, by

The. forward ends of the parter blades are 1,20 a cam controlled parter arm 54. which is rigidly and adjustably secured on Vthe rock shaft 50 on the side .f

of the bearing 5l opposite to that on which the arm -lfl is located. .lt will be observed that thc parter support 46 and the partei' arm 5l are iii fixed relatioii.aud practically constitute a bellcrank lever. or cam boss 55 of the parter arm 54 projects downwardly and engages a parter c011- The rear j endA` l messes trolling cam piece 56 which rests on the base 57 of the hopper bracket l. During normal weaving the cam boss engages a high cani surface 58 on the cam piece 56, and the rear end oi' the parter support 4G, and consequently the forward ends of the parter blades 39, are held in a raised position. But, when the filling feeler mechanism has indicated predetermined exhaustion of illing and the shuttle :teeler is moved toward the lay into position to determine whether the shuttle has been properly positioned on the next weft replenishing'beat-up of the lay, the cam piece 56 is moved to the rear with it. For this purpose the rear end oi the cam piece is provided with a. slot 59 which is adapted to engage a pin 60 projecting laterally from a bracket 6l secured to and vertically adjustable on the shuttle feeler 20. The movement of the cam piece 56 to the rear removes the cam surface 58 from under the cam boss 55 of the parter arm, and presents a recess or low cam surface 63 in the forward end of the cam piece to the cam boss. Thereupon a spring 64 received in a housing G5 on the bracket 52. acts to push the cam boss 55 down into the recess 63 and thereby lower the forward ends of the parter blades toward the shuttle race 56, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, into position to engage the outgoing filling and present it to the reed as the lay beats np on the filling replenishing beat.

During the weft replenishingir operation the shuttle feeler 20 remains in its rearrnost position, as shown in Fig. 3. Upon the completion of the replenishing operation the lay beats back, and the shuttle eeler mores forward to the position shown in Fig. 4. As the shuttle feeler moves forward. the pin 60 carried thereby is moved into engagement with the forward end of the slot 59 and pushes the cam piece 56 forward until the rearmost end 68 ot' the recess 63 is brought under the rear end of the cam boss This forward movement of the cam piece does not disturb the operative position of the partei` blades, which still remain depressed toward the shuttle race. as shown in Fig. 4, ready to engage the incoming filling end and present it to the severinel action of the parten blades and reed dents as the la;T beats up on the forward beat snc` Veeeding the replenishing operation. 0n this beat-np of the lay, a bunter 69 fastened on the top of the shuttle box 70 engages the rear end of the cam piece 56 and pushes it forward into its normal position shown in Figi. it will be observed in this connection that while the shuttle feeler was in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 3, and the cani piece 56 was held in its rearmost. position the pin 60', the rear end of the cam piece was held above the path of motion of the bunter 69,

Verating, and, consequently,

4tending portion of the which is shown-by the v arrow; but, that when the shuttle ieeler is,

its inoperative position, as shown by Fig. 4,-.

and the cam piece Ais in its secondary osition, that is, half way between the position it assumes in Fig. 3 and the position it assumes in Fig. l, the rear end thereof is in the path of motion of the bunter 69, as is shown by the arrow. It is thus Seen that the cutting edges 67 of the parter blades are perniittedv to remain in operative position near the shuttle race during two successive forward beats of the lay, and that on the first of these, namely, the replenishing beat,v the outgoing filling end is severed, and on' the succeeding forward beat the incoming filling end is severed. Between these two beat-ups the parter blades are momentarily raised to permit the picking of the shuttle from theY replenishing side of the loom1 as will be presently explained.

The foregoing statement of the mode ot' operation 0I" the thread parting mechanism presupposes a properly boxed shuttle on the replenishing beat-up of the lay. "if on this beat-up of the lay the shuttle is not properly boxed, so that the shuttle feeler is moved forward and thereby operates to prevent the weft replenishing operation, the thread parting mechanism is also prevented from opthe outgoing filling end will not be severed. in the present construction of loom, the non-operation of the replenishing mechanism when a change of iilling has been called 'for by the lling feeler mechanism, does not result in loom stoppage. Consequently, if the outgoing filling end were severed on the beatnp ot the lay on which the replenishing operation was scheduled to take place, the shuttle with its trailing lilling end would be picked to the opposite side of the loom, with the consequent liability of a mispick resulting from the trailing filling end being caught inthe shed. in order to obriate mispicks occurring from this canse, means are provided in the present invention to return the forward or thread parting ends of the partei blades to normal position if. on the replenishing beat-np of the lay. an improporly boxed shuttle strikes 'the shuttle eeler. The means for thus raising the forward ends of the partei' blades comprise a cani piece 72 secured to the side of the partei1 arm 54. The cam piece 72 is provided with an open ing 73, within which is situated during the normal operation of the loom a cani pin 7l projecting laterally from a boss formed on thev forward side of the lower end ot' the Shuttle feeler, As the shuttle ifeeler moves rearwardly into operative position, the. cani pin .74 comes into engagement with a cam surface 75 formed on the rearwardly 'expiece '79., and thereby momentarily raises the porter blades toward the upper part of the reed. When Yare depressed again the shuttle feeler has swung clear of the rearward end of the cam piece 7 2, the spring 64 acts as before described to depress the forward endsof the parter blades toward the shuttle race.- 1f, now, on the replenishing-beat-up of the lay the shuttle is iinproperly boxed, and consequently it engages and pushes forward the shuttle feeler, the cam 74 will come into engagement with a cam surface 7 6. formed on the rearward extremity of the cam piece 72. The. relative positions of the cam pin 74 and cani surfacel 76 are such that the cam pin 74 is just passing under the lowest portion of the cam` surface 76 as the reed dents -lO are passing by the cutting edges 67 of the parter blades. Consequently, inasmuch as the engagement of the cam pin 74 with thc cani surface 76 acts to lift the forward ends of the parter blades into inoperative position, the outgoing filling end is not caught between the cutting edges 67 and the reed dents 40, and so is not s vered. YVlien the forward ends of the pai e blades havethus been `raised into inoperative position, .to prevent the severing of the outgoing .filling end, they when the cam pin 74 passes beyond the cani surface 76. At this time the bunter 69 is under the rear end ot' the cam piece 56. As the lay beats backward, the shuttle feeler follows it far enough to bring the cam pin 74 into engagement with the cam surface 75. The shuttle feeler moves vrearwardly at this time because it is under tension of the spring 16, the hopper arm lliaving not yet fully returned to normal position. The pin 74 engages the surface 75 to lift the partei' blades immediately previous to the picking of the shuttle from the replenishing side of the loom, so that the parter blades are above the path of the shuttle as the shuttle passes them. By the time the lay has completed its backward beat, the hopper arm l2, and consequently theshuttle feeler, have been returned to normal position. The, shuttle feeler and the parts connected withit are now in the positions shown iii-Eig. l. On the following beat-up, the lay strikes and moves forward the cam piece 56, thereby returning the parter blades to their normal or inoperative position. Inasmuchas the replenishing operation did not occur, there was no severing of filling on this beat-up of the lay. From this description it will also be understood why the parter blades are temporarily raised after the A`replenishing operation to permit the shuttle to be picked,

and are again returned to operative position to sever the incoming filling end.

The mechanism of the present invention has been described as being applied to a feeler loom. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to application to feeler looms, but may be used in connection with filling detector controlled, automatic looms. In this latter type of loom the rock shaft, controlling the weft replenisliing mechanism, isactuated by the usual iilliiig detector upon a detection of. filling absence. Consequently, there can be no outgoing filling end. The thread parting mechy aiiisin of the present invention, nevertheless, it' applied to this type vof loom, would be thrown into operative position on the initiation of the replenishing operation, and would operate, as described, to sever the incoming lliiig `end extending from theliopper t0 the fell of the cloth on the beat-up of the lay succeeding the replenishing operation. The specific forni of leoni illustrated in the drawings'is provided with a filling cle-(,-

tector located on the weft replenishing side of the loom. It is obvious, however, that the mechanism 01 the present invention is equally applicable to double filling detector looms, that is, to looms provided with a filling detector at each side, and to single filling detector looms where the filling detector is located on the one side ot the loom or on the other.

The thread parting blades'ot' the thread parting mechanism have been described as cof'perating with the reed to sever the filling. it. will be understood that in place of the reed dents a grid or other similar toothed structure carried by the lay may coperate with the thread parting blades to sever the filling. The invention, therefore, is 4not restricted to thread parting mechanisms in th eir forward en ds.

2. A loom having, in combination, a lay, weftI ieplenishing mechanism, parter meinbers fixed on the lay, parter blades received between the partei' membersY to coperate with them togsever the filling. means for supporting the blades at their rear ends, and

means for supporting the blades at their'V forward ends. said latter means having provisi-.i i for holding the blades above the filling during normal weaving and for lowering the blades to sever the filling on an actuation of the replcnishing mechanism.

'3. A loom having, in combination, weaving devices including a lay, parter members fixed 4on the lay, partei' blades adapted to coi blades below operate with the parter t rear and forward for loosely in the direction of travel of the lay.

4. A loom having, in combination, a weft replenishing mechanism, parting mechanism comprising parter blades adapted to project through the dents ofa toothe member carried by the lay and .cooperate therewith to sever the filling, feeler, and means connected with the shuttle feeler for holding the thread parting ends of the parter blades in inoperative position during normal weaving and for moving the thread parting ends of the blades into operative position when the shuttle feeler is moved into operative position.

5. A loom having, in combination, a weft replenishing mechanism, a lay, a toothed member thereon, parter blades adapted to cooperate with the toothed member to sever the filling, means for loosely holding the arter blades suspended above the plane o the filling during normal weaving, means for lowering the thread parting ends of the the plane of the fillingl when the weft replenishing operation is initiated, and means for raising the thread parting ends ot the blades above the plane of the filling it thc weft replenishing operation is prevented.

6. A loom having. in combination, a Vweft replenishing mechanism, a shuttle feeler, a thread parting mechanism comprising arter members fixed on the lay and parter blades cooperating therewith, means con nected with the shuttle fecler toi' holding the parter blades in inoperative position during normal weaving and for moving the parter blades into operative position when the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism is initiated, and means led by control the shuttle feeler for moving the parter blades into inoperative position when on thc replenishmg beat-up of the lay an improperlv boxed shuttle strikes the shuttle feeler. 7. A loom having, in combination, a lay, weft replenishing mechanism, a shu t e feeler, parter members fixed on the lay,

parter blades for cooperation with the of the lay theV parter blades may be moved a short distance is struck a shuttle.

arter members to sever the for supporting the rear ends of the blades, and connections between the forward ends of the blades and the shuttle feeler, said connections having provision for olding the blades above the filling during normal weaving, for lowering'the blades onv initiation of the replenishing operation, and or raising the blades in case the shuttle feeler on the replenishingI beateup of the lay.

8; A loom having, in combination, weft replenishing mechanism, a shuttle feeler, partei members fixed on the lay,

arter blades coperating with them to sever the filling, means for supportingthe rear ends of' the blades from a stationary part of the loom,' and connections between t e forward ends of the blades and the shuttle Jrv'eeler for moving the blades into and out of fillingsevering position.

9. A loomhaving, in combination, a weft replenishing mechanismh a shuttle eeler,v

a thread parting mechanism havingl parteru blades, .a cam piece loosely connected with the shuttle feeler, `a bellcrank lever in engagement with the cam piece for Vholding the parter blades in inoperative position filling, means a lay,A

by an improperl1 boxed @shuttle while the shuttle feeler remains in inoperative position, or moving the parter blades into operative position when the shuttle feeler moves into operative position.

10. A loom having. in combination, a weft replenish'ingmechanism, a shuttle feeler, a thread parting mechanism having partei' blades, a bellcrank lever connected with the parter blades, connections between the shuttle feeler and the bellcrank lever adapted to maintain the parter blades in inoperative position during normalweaving an permit the parter blades to move into operative position when the filling replenishing operation is initiated, and means connected with the bellcrank lever constructed and arranged to be actuated bv the shuttle eeler to move the parter blades into inoperative position it' the shuttle feeler is engaged by the shuttle on the replenishing beat-up of the lay. 

